Charles Mingus - Incarnations

Styles: Post Bop, Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 42:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:27) 1. Bugs (Take 3)
(11:50) 2. R&R (Take 1)
( 4:50) 3. All The Things You Are (All)
( 6:58) 4. Reincarnation of a Love Bird (2nd Version Take 1)
(10:41) 5. Body And Soul (Take 6)

A collection of recordings culled from Charles Mingus' 1960 sessions on the Candid label, 2024's Incarnations is a swinging yet still heady album that finds the bassist bridging the mainstream jazz of the '40s and '50s with the avant-garde post-bop and third-stream explorations he would pursue just a few years later.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/incarnations-mw0004165948

Personnel: Bass – Charles Mingus; Alto Saxophone – Charles McPherson, Eric Dolphy; Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy; Drums – Dannie Richmond, Jo Jones; Piano – Nino Bunick, Paul Bley, Tommy Flanagan; Tenor Saxophone – Booker Ervin ; Trombone – Britt Woodman, Jimmy Knepper; Trumpet – Lonnie Hillyer, Roy Eldridge, Ted Curson

Incarnations

---

Charles Mingus - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 92,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. II B.S.
(7:36)  2. I X Love
(6:10)  3. Celia
(4:44)  4. Mood Indigo
(6:26)  5. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul
(5:49)  6. Theme for Lester Young
(4:39)  7. Hora Decubitus

Having completed what he (and many critics) regarded as his masterwork in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charles Mingus' next sessions for Impulse found him looking back over a long and fruitful career. Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is sort of a "greatest hits revisited" record, as the bassist revamps or tinkers with some of his best-known works. The titles are altered as well  "II B.S." is basically "Haitian Fight Song" (this is the version used in the late-'90s car commercial); "Theme for Lester Young" is "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"; "Better Get Hit in Your Soul" adds a new ending, but just one letter to the title; "Hora Decubitus" is a growling overhaul of "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too"; and "I X Love" modifies "Nouroog," which was part of "Open Letter to Duke." There's also a cover of Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo," leaving just one new composition, "Celia." Which naturally leads to the question: With the ostensible shortage of ideas, what exactly makes this a significant Mingus effort?

The answer is that the 11-piece bands assembled here (slightly different for the two separate recording sessions) are among Mingus' finest, featuring some of the key personnel (Eric Dolphy, pianist Jaki Byard) that would make up the legendary quintet/sextet with which Mingus toured Europe in 1964. And they simply burn, blasting through versions that equal and often surpass the originals which is, of course, no small feat. This was Mingus' last major statement for quite some time, and aside from a solo piano album and a series of live recordings from the 1964 tour, also his last album until 1970. It closes out the most productive and significant chapter of his career, and one of the most fertile, inventive hot streaks of any composer in jazz history.
By Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/mingus-mingus-mingus-mingus-mingus-mw0000653088

Personnel:  Tracks #1 and 4–8, recorded on September 20, 1963: Eddie Preston – Trumpet;  Richard Williams – Trumpet; Britt Woodman – Trombone; Don Butterfield – Tuba;  Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute;  Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, clarinet, flute;  Booker Ervin – Tenor sax;  Eric Dolphy – Alto sax, flute, bass clarinet;  Jaki Byard – Piano;  Charles Mingus – Bass, (narration, #8);  Walter Perkins – Drums;  Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Tracks #2 and 3, recorded on January 20, 1963: Rolf Ericson – Trumpet;  Richard Williams – Trumpet;  Quentin Jackson – Trombone;  Don Butterfield – Tuba;  Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute;  Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, flute, oboe;  Charlie Mariano – Alto sax;  Jaki Byard – Piano;  Jay Berliner – Guitar;  Charles Mingus – Bass, piano;  Dannie Richmond – Drums;  Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

---

John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy - Evenings At The Village Gate

Styles: Modal, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:03
Size: 183,6 MB
Art: Front

(15:53) 1. My Favorite Things
(15:27) 2. When Lights Are Low
(10:12) 3. Impressions
(16:02) 4. Greensleeves
(22:26) 5. Africa

Recorded in 1961, Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy showcases the legendary saxophonist's quintet during their monthlong residency at the storied Greenwich Village nightclub. Along with Dolphy on alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute, Coltrane's group here features his classic lineup of pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Elvin Jones.

This is the same group that would go on to record such landmark albums as 1961's Olé Coltrane, 1961's Africa/Brass, and appear together on 1961's Live! at the Village Vanguard. Recorded on a single ribbon microphone by future Nina Simone and Bob Dylan engineer Richard Alderson, the album was never intended to be released as a professional recording.

Primarily, Alderson (who was in his early twenties at the time and working as a soundman for the club) wanted to check the room's sound and try out his new microphone. The recording would eventually make its way into the vast archive of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, where it would be largely forgotten before eventually being rediscovered. While the sound itself is not as robust as the later Vanguard recordings, it still delivers an exciting fly-on-the-wall atmosphere, capturing the group at the apex of their transition from hard-driving modal jazz to the more avant-garde, harmonically free approach Coltrane would embrace by the middle of the decade.

Much of this transition was brought on by Dolphy, whose wide, intervallic style and adventurous harmonies had a strong influence on Coltrane, which can be heard from both players throughout the recording. Most interesting is their take on "My Favorite Things," which Coltrane recorded a year prior for his album of the same name and which became somewhat of a radio hit. Where that original recording found Coltrane interpolating the melody to a degree, here, he pushes the song to ever more bold heights, utilizing spiraling multi-note runs and throaty, atonal smears.

Equally exploratory atmospheres mark the group's take on "Impressions," a regular song in Coltrane's live shows that he leaps into here with a wild abandon. It's also easy to imagine just how unusual and distinctive Dolphy must have sounded to audiences at the time. This is especially evident when he takes the bass clarinet lead on "When Lights Are Low," playing the melody with a stark soulfulness in a style reminiscent of Sonny Rollins before launching into a solo that quickly frays the harmonic edges of the lyrical standard. Tragically, within six years after this recording, both Dolphy and Coltrane would be gone. Despite the understated and lo-fi nature of the recording, Evenings at the Village Gate is a testament to their profound artistry and creative synergy. By Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/album/evenings-at-the-village-gate-john-coltrane-with-eric-dolphy-mw0004003962

Personnel: Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane; Bass – Art Davis, Reggie Workman; Drums – Elvin Jones; Flute, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy; Piano – McCoy Tyner

Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy

---

Eric Dolphy Quartet - Europe, My Love

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet And Flute Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:11
Size: 170,5 MB
Art: Front

(13:44) 1. Laura
( 5:58) 2. Les
(11:08) 3. Don't Blame Me
(12:08) 4. When Lights Are Low
( 9:06) 5. The Way You Look Tonight
(11:45) 6. Don't Blame Me #2
(10:19) 7. Woody'n You

Eric Dolphy was a true original with his own distinctive styles on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. His music fell into the "avant-garde" category yet he did not discard chordal improvisation altogether (although the relationship of his notes to the chords was often pretty abstract). While most of the other "free jazz" players sounded very serious in their playing, Dolphy's solos often came across as ecstatic and exuberant. His improvisations utilized very wide intervals, a variety of nonmusical speechlike sounds, and its own logic. Although the alto was his main axe, Dolphy was the first flutist to move beyond bop (influencing James Newton) and he largely introduced the bass clarinet to jazz as a solo instrument. He was also one of the first (after Coleman Hawkins) to record unaccompanied horn solos, preceding Anthony Braxton by five years. Eric Dolphy first recorded while with Roy Porter & His Orchestra (1948-1950) in Los Angeles, he was in the Army for two years, and he then played in obscurity in L.A. until he joined the Chico Hamilton Quintet in 1958. In 1959 he settled in New York and was soon a member of the Charles Mingus Quartet. By 1960 Dolphy was recording regularly as a leader for Prestige and gaining attention for his work with Mingus, but throughout his short career he had difficulty gaining steady work due to his very advanced style. Dolphy recorded quite a bit during 1960-1961, including three albums cut at the Five Spot while with trumpeter Booker Little, Free Jazz with Ornette Coleman, sessions with Max Roach, and some European dates. Late in 1961 Dolphy was part of the John Coltrane Quintet; their engagement at the Village Vanguard caused conservative critics to try to smear them as playing "anti-jazz" due to the lengthy and very free solos. During 1962-1963 Dolphy played third stream music with Gunther Schuller and Orchestra U.S.A., and gigged all too rarely with his own group. In 1964 he recorded his classic Out to Lunch for Blue Note and traveled to Europe with the Charles Mingus Sextet (which was arguably the bassist's most exciting band, as shown on The Great Concert of Charles Mingus). After he chose to stay in Europe, Dolphy had a few gigs but then died suddenly from a diabetic coma at the age of 36, a major loss. Virtually all of Eric Dolphy's recordings are in print, including a nine-CD box set of all of his Prestige sessions. In addition, Dolphy can be seen on film with John Coltrane (included on The Coltrane Legacy) and with Mingus from 1964 on a video released by Shanachie. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-dolphy-mn0000800100/biography

Europe, My Love

---

Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy - Cornell 1964

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute Jazz, Post Bop

Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 134:22
Size: 308,3 MB
Art: Front

( 0:16)  1. Opening
( 4:26)  2. ATFW You
( 4:23)  3. Sophisticated Lady
(29:41)  4. Fables Of Faubus
(15:05) 5. Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, The Blue Silk
(17:26)  6. Take The A Train
(31:23)  7. Meditations
(15:33)  8. So Long Eric
( 6:06)  9. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
( 9:58) 10. Jitterbug Waltz

The hype factor was cranked up considerably in 2005 for the unearthed recording of two jazz legends: John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk's At Carnegie Hall (Blue Note). Things have cooled down a tad since that momentous release but just as exciting and equally important is Cornell 1964 featuring the Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy.  Mingus, the powerful enigmatic bassist, band-leader and composer, was as controversial as he was dynamic. Dolphy, an absolutely brilliant musician (alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute), whose short lived musical career (he died a few months after this concert in 1964) still leaves a vivid mark in jazz today. The chance to hear them together is a treat for longtime admirers and newcomers alike. But this is more than just a meeting of two giants because we also get a chance to witness Mingus' illustrious quintet which included lesser known yet stunning musicians: Jaki Byard (piano), Johnny Coles (trumpet), Clifford Jordan (tenor saxophone), and Dannie Richmond (drums). Mingus always ran a tight ship, tolerating nothing less than excellence. With this band, the musicians not only meet his criteria but also deliver some stellar performances. The two-CD recording covers everything from Mingus' epic "Fables of Faubus, (written as a direct protest against Civil Rights injustices in 1957) to a jubilant rendition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling as the band engages in some light hearted fun. There is an air that the vibe was stress free (in contrast to some of Mingus' engagements) and that they were clearly enjoying themselves and the receptive audience. There are many highlights from everyone: Byard's exhaustive range on "ATFW You included bebop, ragtime, classical and more. Mingus' gregarious fretwork injected with humor and an unflinching presence on "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk as Coles' sweet muted trumpet harmonizes with Jordan's warm tenor and Dolphy's throaty bass clarinet. Each voice glows against the blues/swing melody. They "Take The A Train to new destinations of swing as Mingus and Richmond thrill the audience with boisterous solos. Dolphy played jazz flute like no one else, as heard on "Jitterbug Waltz, brings the recording to a satisfying conclusion. There are many bright moments on this resurrected historical document. The shadows of these players still looms today and this concert is a testament of their greatness that will hopefully endure for years to come. ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/cornell-1964-charles-mingus-blue-note-records-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Charles Mingus: bass; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet; Johnny Coles: trumpet; Clifford Jordan: tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard: piano; Dannie Richmond: drums.

Cornell 1964

---

Eric Dolphy - Last Date

Styles: Flute, Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:42
Size: 105,3 MB
Art: Front

(11:16)  1. Epistrophy
( 7:14)  2. South Street Exit
( 4:46)  3. The Madrig Speaks, The Panther Walks
( 5:27)  4. Hypochristmutreefuzz
(11:21)  5. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 5:36)  6. Miss Ann

Apllegedly Eric Dolphy's final recorded performance a fact historians roundly dispute this session in Hilversum, Holland, teams the masterful bass clarinetist, flutist, and alto saxophonist with a Dutch trio of performers who understand the ways in which their hero and leader modified music in such a unique, passionate, and purposeful way far from convention. In pianist Misha Mengelberg, bassist Jacques Schols, and drummer Han Bennink, Dolphy was firmly entwined with a group who understood his off-kilter, pretzel logic concept in shaping melodies and harmonies that were prime extensions of Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, and Cecil Taylor. These three Dolphy originals, one from Monk, one from Mengelberg, and a standard are played so convincingly and with the utmost courage that they created a final stand in the development of how the woodwindist conceived of jazz like no one else before, during, or after his life. Utterly masterful on his flute during "You Don't Know What Love Is," Dolphy's high-drama vibrato tones are simply out of this or any other world, perfectly emoting the bittersweet intent of this song. The ribald humor demonstrated during "Miss Ann" is a signature sound of Dolphy's alto sax, angular like Monk, jovial and more out of the box while he digs in. Where "Epistrophy" might seem standard fare to some, with Dolphy on bass clarinet it is based on voicings even more obtuse than the composer's concept, bouncing along the wings of Mengelberg's piano lines. The post-bop blues of "South Street Exit" is tuneful while also breaking off into tangents, with Bennink's crazy drumming acting like shooting, exploding stars. As the definitive track on this album, "The Madrig Speaks, the Panther Walks" demonstrates the inside-out concept, with mixed tempos changed at will and a 6/8 time insert with Dolphy's choppy alto merging into playful segments as the title suggests a most delightful track. The ridiculously titled "Hypochristmutreefuzz" might be the most understated fare in its more simple angularity, as Schols plays his bass in the upper register while the band dances around him. Last Date is one of those legendary albums whose reputation grows with every passing year, and deservedly so. While it reveals more about the genius rhythm section than Dolphy himself, it also marks the passing of one era and the beginning of what has become a most potent and enduring legacy of European creative improvised tradition, started by Mengelberg and Bennink at this mid-'60s juncture. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/last-date-mw0000191723

Personnel: Flute, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy; Bass – Jacques Schols; Drums – Han Bennink; Piano – Misja Mengelberg

Last Date

---

Eric Dolphy - The Essential Eric Dolphy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:01
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:57)  1. G.W.
(5:11)  2. Les - Rudy Van Gelder Remaster
(6:40)  3. The Meetin'
(5:00)  4. Feathers
(2:43)  5. Eclipse
(8:42)  6. Ode To Charlie Parker
(8:01)  7. Mrs. Parker Of K.C. (Bird's Mother)
(9:53)  8. Ralph's New Blues
(8:50)  9. Status Seeking

This is strictly for the budget-conscious. It does have some valuable material, but no anthology can accurately assess Dolphy's importance. 

~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-eric-dolphy-mw0000198039

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy; Bass – George Tucker; Drums – Roy Haynes; Piano – Jaki Byard; Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

The Essential Eric Dolphy

---

Booker Little - Out Front

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 101,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. We Speak
(6:17)  2. Strength And Sanity
(8:10)  3. Quiet Please
(5:44)  4. Moods In Free Time
(4:51)  5. Man Of Words
(6:41)  6. Hazy Blues
(5:31)  7. A New Day

Booker Little was the first trumpet soloist to emerge in jazz after the death of Clifford Brown to have his own sound. His tragically brief life (he died at age 23 later in 1961) cut short what would have certainly been a major career. Little, on this sextet date with multi-reedist Eric Dolphy, trombonist Julian Priester, and drummer Max Roach, shows that his playing was really beyond bebop. His seven now-obscure originals (several of which deserve to be revived) are challenging for the soloists and there are many strong moments during these consistently challenging and satisfying performances. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-front-mw0000197893

Personnel: Booker Little - trumpet; Julian Priester - trombone; Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Don Friedman - piano; Art Davis (tracks 1, 3 & 7), Ron Carter (tracks 2 & 4-6) - bass; Max Roach - drums, timpani, vibraphone

Out Front

---

Mal Waldron with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin - The Quest

Styles: Piano, Saxophone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:54)  1. Status Seeking
(4:09)  2. Duquility
(4:45)  3. Thirteen
(4:26)  4. We Diddit
(5:39)  5. Warm Canto
(5:39)  6. Warp and Woof
(8:02)  7. Fire Waltz

Although often reissued under Eric Dolphy's name, this CD reissue gives the leadership back to pianist Mal Waldron. The seven originals not only feature altoist Dolphy (who makes a rare appearance on clarinet during "Warm Canto") but tenor-saxophonist Booker Ervin, Ron Carter (on cello) and Waldron. With bassist Joe Benjamin and drummer Charlie Persip giving alert support, the complex music (which falls between hard bop and the avant-garde) is successfully interpreted. Worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-quest-mw0000078389

Personnel:  Mal Waldron – piano; Eric Dolphy – alto saxophone, clarinet; Booker Ervin – tenor saxophone (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7); Ron Carter – cello; Joe Benjamin – bass; Charlie Persip – drums

The Quest

---

George Russell - Ezz-thetics

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:02
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:59)  1. Ezz-thetic
(4:41)  2. Nardis
(8:07)  3. Lydiot
(5:36)  4. Thoughts
(9:04)  5. Honesty
(6:33)  6. 'Round Midnight

A post-war masterpiece, Ezz-Thetics is pianist/arranger George Russell's definitive 1961 sextet recording from the earliest phase of his multi-decade career. On par with such iconic albums as Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!, 1961), Mal Waldron's The Quest (Riverside, 1961) and Andrew Hill's Point of Departure (Blue Note, 1964), Ezz-Thetics traffics in the same advanced but accessible strain of avant-garde-influenced post-bop. Author of The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization (pub. 1953), Russell's seminal concepts of improvisation, based on scales rather than chords, became the driving force behind the early modal explorations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. This pioneering session offers a singular and visionary view of classic post-bop that is ageless in its perfection. Starring a phenomenal group of talent, Russell's sextet features multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, trumpeter Don Ellis, trombonist Dave Baker, a young Steve Swallow on acoustic bass and drummer Joe Hunt. Undaunted by Russell's unorthodox arrangements and tricky, pan-tonal harmonic sensibility, these young firebrands tackle these knotty compositions with flawless technique and unbounded creativity. "Ezz-Thetic" opens the album with a bustling, circuitous theme that ripples with spiraling angularity. Inspiring a round of exhilarating statements from the horns, the tune breaks down into a sequence of recurrent call and response between the rhythm section and brass that eschews typical conventions of pattern and form. Supported by subtle counterpoint and an elegant arrangement, Miles Davis' exotic "Nardis" is given a haunting reading. The sly and unassuming "Lydiot" reveals Russell's minimalist angularity behind the piano, while Dolphy displays a keening, expressive aspect in contrast to Ellis' dulcet trumpet. Using the blues as a basic framework, Baker's contribution, "Thoughts," incorporates free-form sections at regular intervals, exposing the fine line between tradition and innovation. "Honesty" is a celebratory ode; a vibrant hybrid of classic swing and edgy futurism that contrasts bluesy lyricism with suspenseful, stop-time segments. 

A prescient rendition of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" acts as a showpiece for Dolphy. Opening with a free-form section of tiny instrumental sounds and highly vocalized brass effects, it pre-dates the work of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Music) by almost a decade. A brilliant study in dynamics and virtuosity, Dolphy's alto solo is legendary. Incorporating intervallic leaps and register changes with a highly vocalized tone and mellifluous phrasing, he offers a definitive statement on a hallowed theme. Two takes of the previously unissued "Kige's Tune" appear as bonus tracks. A driving bop-ish vehicle, it is a worthwhile addition, providing the perfect coda to a brilliant session. Cerebral and innovative, yet firmly grounded in tradition, Ezz-Thetics is essential listening and an absolute requirement for any comprehensive jazz collection. Russell's masterwork is beautiful, enthralling and adventurous, a perfect summation of all the innovations post-war jazz has to offer. ~ Troy Collins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ezz-thetics-george-russell-riverside-review-by-troy-collins.php

Personnel: George Russell: piano, arranger; Don Ellis: trumpet; Dave Baker: trombone; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone, bass clarinet (2, 4); Stephen Swallow: bass; Joe Hunt: drums.

Ezz-thetics

---

Ted Curson - Plenty Of Horn

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:18
Size: 91,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Caravan
(6:16)  2. Nosruc Waltz
(4:22)  3. The Things We Did Last Summer
(3:41)  4. Dem's Blues
(4:20)  5. Ahma ( See Ya )
(3:33)  6. Flatted Fifth
(3:55)  7. Bali - H'ai
(5:03)  8. Antibes
(5:12)  9. Mr Teddy

An excellent and flexible trumpeter, Ted Curson will always be best known for his work with Charles Mingus' 1960 quartet (which also included Eric Dolphy and Dannie Richmond). He studied at Granoff Musical Conservatory; moved to New York in 1956; played in New York with Mal Waldron, Red Garland, and Philly Joe Jones; and recorded with Cecil Taylor (1961). After the 1959-1960 Mingus association (which resulted in some classic recordings), Curson co-led a quintet with Bill Barron (1960-1965), played with Max Roach, and led his own groups. He spent time from the late '60s on in Europe (particularly Denmark) but had a lower profile than one would expect after returning to the U.S. in 1976. 

He led sessions for Old Town (1961), Prestige, Fontana, Atlantic, Arista, Inner City, Interplay, Chiaroscuro, and several European labels. Curson died of a heart attack on November 4, 2012. He was 77 years old. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/plenty-of-horn-remastered/915587792

Personnel:  Ted Curson (trumpet), Bill Barron (tenor sax on #5 & 6), Eric Dolphy (flute on #3 & 7), Kenny Drew (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), Roy Haynes (drums on #5 & 6), Danny Richmond (drums on #3 & 7) and Pete La Roca (drums on #1,2,4,8 & 9).

Plenty Of Horn

---

Eric Dolphy - Iron Man

Styles: Clarinet, Flute And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:27
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:10)  1. Iron Man
( 4:45)  2. Mandrake
( 6:26)  3. Come Sunday
(11:54)  4. Burning Spear
( 8:10)  5. Ode to C. P.

The companion piece to Conversations (recorded at the same mid-1963 sessions with producer Alan Douglas), Iron Man is every bit as essential and strikes a more consistent ambience than its widely varied twin. It also more clearly anticipates the detailed, abstract sound paintings of Dolphy's masterwork Out to Lunch, in large part because this time around the program is weighted toward Dolphy originals. "Iron Man," "Burning Spear," and the shorter "Mandrake" all have pretty outside themes, full of Dolphy's trademark wide interval leaps and playful sense of dissonance. Yet there's enough structure and swing to make their roots in hard bop perfectly clear, and once the front-line horns blast out the themes, the ensemble shifts into a more cerebral, exploratory mode. In the absence of a piano, Bobby Hutcherson's vibes are a crucial anchor, outlining dissonant harmonies that hang in the air almost spectrally behind the rest of the group. Most of the same musicians from Conversations appear here, including trumpeter Woody Shaw, flutist Prince Lasha, altoist Sonny Simmons, and soprano sax player Clifford Jordan. And once again, Dolphy duets with bassist Richard Davis, twice this time -- on bass clarinet for Ellington's "Come Sunday" and on flute for Jaki Byard's "Ode to C.P." Both are lovely, meditative pieces filled with conversational exchanges between the two players, illustrating what similar wavelengths they were on. Between Conversations and Iron Man, split up the way they are, one has to give a slight edge to the latter for its more cohesive presentation, yet these are classic sessions in any form and constitute some of the most brilliant work of the early-'60s avant-garde. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/iron-man-mw0000651215

Personnel:  Eric Dolphy – bass clarinet, flute, alto saxophone;  Richard Davis – bass;  Clifford Jordan – soprano saxophone;  Sonny Simmons – alto saxophone;  Prince Lasha – flute;  Woody Shaw – trumpet;  Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone;  J.C. Moses – drums;  Eddie Khan – bass ("Iron Man")

Iron Man

---

Eric Dolphy - Conversations

Styles: Clarinet, Flute Jazz 
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:51
Size: 78,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:17)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
( 9:35)  2. Music Matador
( 3:22)  3. Love Me
(13:36)  4. Alone Together

In 1963 (probably July, though some sources place the dates in May or June), Eric Dolphy recorded some sessions in New York with producer Alan Douglas, the fruits of which were issued on small labels as the LPs Conversations and Iron Man. They've been reissued a number of times on various labels, occasionally compiled together, but never with quite the treatment they deserve (which is perhaps why they're not as celebrated as they should be). In whatever form, though, it's classic, essential Dolphy that stands as some of his finest work past Out to Lunch. Conversations is the more eclectic of the two, featuring radical re-imaginings of three standards, plus the jubilant, Caribbean-flavored "Music Matador" (by ensemble members Prince Lasha on flute and Sonny Simmons on alto). 

That cut, and a classic inside/outside reworking of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" feature Dolphy leading ensembles of up-and-coming "new thing" players, which prominently feature vibist Bobby Hutcherson and trumpeter Woody Shaw. The second half of the album takes a far more minimalist approach, with Dolphy performing unaccompanied (extremely rare prior to Anthony Braxton's For Alto) on "Love Me." "Alone Together" is an over-13-minute duet between Dolphy and bassist Richard Davis, featuring some astoundingly telepathic exchanges that more than justify its length. Even if the selections don't completely hang together as an LP statement, they're united by Dolphy's generally brilliant playing and a sense that  after several years without entering the studio much as a leader Dolphy was really striving to push his (and others') music forward. The results are richly rewarding, making Conversations one of the landmarks in his catalog.~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/conversations-mw0000199276

Personnel:  Eric Dolphy – bass clarinet, flute, alto saxophone;  Richard Davis – bass;  Eddie Khan – bass;  Clifford Jordan – soprano saxophone;  Sonny Simmons – alto saxophone;  Prince Lasha – flute;  Woody Shaw – trumpet;  Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone;  J.C. Moses – drums;  Charles Moffett - drums on "Music Matador"

Conversations

---

Eric Dolphy - Muses

Styles: Clarinet, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:22
Size: 86,1 MB
Art: Front

(12:07)  1. Alone Together
( 8:48)  2. Muses
( 8:27)  3. Iron Man
( 3:39)  4. Love Me
( 4:18)  5. Mandrake

Undelivered collection of waiting Douglas session. Anyway, attention is the duo with Richard Davis by bus clarinet , which is another take of the world first debut title drama "Muses" and "Alone Together" by world clarinet . (In addition, I imagined another take of "Iron Man" "Love Me" " Mandrake " and I imagined it actually, as you can imagine, the sound quality is not good).  First of all, from "Alone Together" at the beginning. The basic composition is the same as this take, but Dollfie is an unexpected development that plays the theme melody quite clearly from the beginning, it is totally scary or loose, after all the original is not enemy. Expected "Muses" has a gloomy mood that is hard to say, and it is certain that it is one song different from the composition of Dolphy 's compositions. However, I still feel that it is incomplete. I guess that it was for that reason that it was not included in the original (and it will also float completely from other songs). However, I think that the significance of the existence of this performance became clear. If you lived long, you probably had become an ECM musician. I could not think of anything like that at all. https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://outwardbound.hatenablog.com/entry/2013/11/28/010918&prev=search

Personnel:   Eric Dolphy - bass clarinet, alto saxophone, composer;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone;  Richard Davis - double bass;  Eddie Khan - double bass.

Muses

---

Various - A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story (2 parts)

The litany of names that drummer Roy Haynes has worked with in his half-century long career reads like a history of modern jazz, and includes such undeniable luminaries as Lester Young, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Stan Getz, Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Alice Coltrane, and John Coltrane, all of whom are represented on this three-disc (there is a fourth DVD disc that adds interviews and videos of live shows) survey of Haynes' musical life and times. Spanning 1949 through 2006, at 37 tracks this set only begins to scratch the surface of what Haynes has contributed to jazz, of course, but it is both an ideal starting point and a capsule survey of those contributions. A must for fans and those in the know, but even the most casual listener will be impressed.

Album: A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 86:28
Size: 197.9 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2007

[2:26] 1. Lester Young - Ding Dong
[3:00] 2. Bud Powell - Bouncin' With Bud
[3:02] 3. Charlie Parker - My Little Suede Shoes
[2:21] 4. Miles Davis - Morpheus
[2:50] 5. Miles Davis - Down
[2:30] 6. Sonny Rollins - I Know
[4:54] 7. Charlie Parker - I'll Walk Alone
[2:38] 8. Sarah Vaughan - Shulie A Bop
[3:32] 9. Nat Adderley - Two Brothers
[2:38] 10. Sarah Vaughan - How High The Moon
[4:20] 11. Roy Haynes - Reflection
[9:27] 12. Thelonious Monk Quartet - Rhythm A Ning
[3:49] 13. Etta Jones - Don't Go To Strangers
[5:41] 14. Eric Dolphy Quintet - On Green Dolphin Street
[2:28] 15. Stan Getz - I'm Late, I'm Late
[8:44] 16. Oliver Nelson - Stolen Moments
[4:40] 17. Roy Haynes Quartet - Long Wharf
[4:07] 18. Roy Haynes Quartet - Snap Crackle
[9:03] 19. Jackie Mclean - Esoteric
[4:09] 20. John Coltrane Quartet - After The Rain

A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 1 mc
A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 1 zippy

---

Album: A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:03
Size: 290.8 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[ 6:53] 1. Andrew Hill - Black Fire
[ 7:53] 2. Jack Dejohnette - Poppa Daddy And Me
[ 6:27] 3. Chick Corea - Matrix
[11:41] 4. Alice Coltrane - Transfiguration
[ 3:02] 5. Michel Petrucciani - Little Peace In C For U
[ 6:22] 6. Gary Burton - Question And Answer
[17:20] 7. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
[ 4:35] 8. Roy Haynes - James
[ 4:24] 9. Roy Haynes - Equipoise
[ 7:15] 10. Roy Haynes - After Sunrise
[ 7:01] 11. Roy Haynes - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[ 5:55] 12. Roy Haynes - Vistalite
[ 6:43] 13. Roy Haynes - Water Children
[ 7:36] 14. Roy Haynes - Brown Skin Girl
[ 8:19] 15. Roy Haynes - Greensleeves
[ 6:53] 16. Roy Haynes & The Fountain Of Youth Band - Hippidy Hop
[ 8:37] 17. Roy Haynes & The Fountain Of Youth Band - Segment

A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 2 mc
A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 2 zippy

---

Oliver Nelson, Eric Dolphy - Straight Ahead

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:11
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Images
(7:18)  2. Six And Four
(5:04)  3. Mama Lou
(9:57)  4. Ralph's New Blues
(5:36)  5. Straight Ahead
(3:27)  6. 111-44

Contrast is everything. Think of food for example: A big salty hunk of mature cheese is nicely offset by a couple of sweet grapes. Gastronomes would never dream of eating a rich foie-gras without the accompaniment of the honeyed sweetness of a glass of Sauternes. The same is true with music; a whole album of fast-paced music quickly becomes draining. Likewise, an hour of chilled-out dub can send you to sleep. The saxophonist and composer Oliver Nelson was obviously acutely aware of this when choosing his musical sparring partners. Nelson's decision to share the frontline on three albums with the multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy is often described as brave. I believe that Nelson knew exactly what he was doing. Dolphy, a hero of the avant-garde, has a style so diametrically opposed to Oliver Nelson’s that the two just can’t help but complement each other. This synergy is beautifully demonstrated on the 1961 recording Straight Ahead. Both soloists play a number of instruments, with Nelson on alto/tenor saxophone and clarinet and Dolphy on bass clarinet, alto saxophone and flute. Oliver Nelson was a jazz composer par excellence, and this album does not disappoint. It contains a number of memorable themes, such as “Six and Four,” “Mama Lou” and “Straight Ahead.” Best of all: the soloing. The high-speed elasticity of Dolphy’s runs contrast perfectly with the pure, soaring tone of Nelson. The two horn players spark each other and generate music of genuine intensity. It is worth noting that Oliver Nelson and Eric Dolphy played together on a number of other albums, the highlight of which must be the classic chamber-jazz of The Blues and the Abstract Truth. Pass the grapes.....~ Keiran Smalley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/straight-ahead-oliver-nelson-fantasy-jazz-review-by-keiran-smalley.php

Personnel: Oliver Nelson: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Richard Wyands: piano; George Duvivier: bass; Roy Haynes: drums

Straight Ahead

---

Eric Dolphy - The Illinois Concert

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:06
Size: 158.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1963/1999
Art: Front

[20:16] 1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[ 1:29] 2. Something Sweet, Something Tender
[ 8:45] 3. God Bless The Child
[ 7:29] 4. South Street Exit
[10:58] 5. Iron Man
[12:26] 6. Red Planet
[ 7:40] 7. G.W.

Bass – Eddie Khan; Drums – J.C. Moses; Flute, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy; Piano – Herbie Hancock. Recorded live at the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL on March 10, 1963. The band is augmented by the University of Illinois Brass Ensemble (6 French horns, 2 baritone horns and 1 tuba) on track 6 and by the University of Illinois Big Band (6 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 reed instruments) on track 7.

The 1999 discovery of a previously unknown 1963 concert by Eric Dolphy makes it one of the finds of the decade. Taped for broadcast at the University of Illinois at Champaign, it was mentioned in an Eric Dolphy Internet chat room and eventually relayed to producer Michael Cuscuna. The sound is very good, except for overly prominent drums throughout the concert and an under-miked flute on "South Street Exit." Dolphy's playing is consistently rewarding, including a lengthy workout of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," a miniature of "Something Sweet, Something Tender," and his always superb solo feature of "God Bless the Child." He switches to alto sax for an adventurous new work, "Iron Man" (which he would record a few months later for Douglas International), also inserting a hilarious quote of "Comin' Through the Rye." A 23-year-old Herbie Hancock on piano, Eddie Locke on bass, and drummer J. C. Moses make up the solid rhythm section. The last two tracks, "Red Planet" and Dolphy's "G.W.," add the support of the University of Illinois Brass Ensemble, which included a young Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. Highly recommended! ~Ken Dryden

The Illinois Concert mc
The Illinois Concert zippy

---

Oliver Nelson - Screamin' The Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:54
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:59)  1. Screamin' The Blues
( 4:59)  2. March On, March On
( 5:49)  3. The Drive
( 6:43)  4. The Meetin'
( 6:25)  5. Three Seconds
( 4:58)  6. Alto-itis

Screamin' the Blues is an apt description of the soloists' approach on this 1960 session, here reissued as an RVG remaster, the first of three matching leader Oliver Nelson with avant-gardist Eric Dolphy. Although not as well-known as Nelson's masterpiece, Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961), the date is characterized, above all, by "generosity" on the part of all three principals, including the underrated trumpeter Richard Williams. Nelson's tenor solo on the title tune is the equivalent of an operatic tenor aria full-throated, dramatic, played to the back row. It alone is testimony to the remarkable player he was before putting the horn aside and arranging for everyone from Ringo Starr to Thelonious Monk to opera diva Rise Stevens. Add to these activities his film scores for Last Tango in Paris, Lady Sings the Blues, and Alfie, with a sound-track featuring Sonny Rollins, and you begin to wonder less at why he died so young than how he accomplished so much in his forty-three years. On both tenor and alto Nelson favored a pure but powerful sound. His vibrato spins tightly and he's forward on the beat, but otherwise the decisiveness and absolute assurance with which he "sticks" every note is prime-time Dexter Gordon. Moreover, he thinks like a composer constructing solos with a beginning, middle, and end, each musical narrative culminating in a majestic but hard-earned climax. As harmonically grounded as he is, no player is more averse to "running the changes"; in fact, Nelson incorporates the principle of tension and release practically to the extreme. He will repeat an identical phrase derived from a chord's "extension notes" to the point of discomfort before relinquishing it to the harmonic mainstream. Especially striking examples are his solos on "Perdido (Soul Battle, 1960) and "Mainstem (Mainstem, 1961). Following the stentorian statements of Nelson's tenor and Williams' trumpet on the title tune, Dolphy's squawking bass clarinet sounds like an odd duck. But once moving to alto for "March On, March On" he reveals the aggressive technique and bold harmonies that caused Nelson, a harmonic experimenter and virtuoso player in his own right, to see in Dolphy an adventurous musical soul and kindred spirit, someone capable of pushing the leader to greater risks and potentially greater rewards. Dolphy remains on alto for the next five tunes, frequently raising the bar for Nelson, whose musical-emotional rhetoric, fueled by Dolphy's range-busting top tones and volcanic technique, is not about to give an inch. 

After a particularly blistering solo by the guest alto player on the leader's "Alto-itis," Nelson starts his solo tenuously, as though planning his attack carefully before executing with breathtaking surgical precision, leaving the "screamin'" to the entire ensemble on the out chorus. Sounding no less eruptive than the Count Basie band from the Wyands-Duvivier-Haynes power plant to the three explosive horns each impersonating an entire section it's a fitting finale by musicians for whom feeling blue is an occasion for celebrating. ~ Samuel Chell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/screamin-the-blues-oliver-nelson-prestige-records-review-by-samuel-chell.php

Personnel: Oiver Nelson: tenor and alto saxophones; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone and bass clarinet; Richard Williams: trumpet; Richard Wyands: piano; George Duvivier: bass; Roy Haynes: drums.

Screamin' The Blues

---

Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis - Trane Whistle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:03
Size: 76,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. Trane Whistle
(3:35)  2. Whole Nelson
(5:11)  3. You Are Too Beautiful
(7:54)  4. The Stolen Moment
(5:27)  5. Walk Away
(4:36)  6. Jaws

This CD reissue brings back an Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis session in which the distinctive tenor saxophonist is joined by a 13-piece big band arranged by Oliver Nelson. Most significant is the inclusion of the original version of "Stolen Moments" (here called "The Stolen Moment" and predating the more famous Oliver Nelson recording by several months). Eric Dolphy is in the backup group but is not heard from in a solo capacity. There are some spots for trumpeters Richard Williams, Clark Terry and Bobby Bryant along with Nelson on alto but this is primarily Davis' showcase. On a set comprised of four Oliver Nelson originals, the ballad "You Are Too Beautiful" and the leader's "Jaws," Lockjaw as usual shows plenty of emotion during his driving solos. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/trane-whistle-mw0000207360

Personnel: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone); Clark Terry, Richard Williams, Bob Bryant (trumpet); Melba Liston, Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Jerome Richardson, Oliver Nelson, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow, Bob Ashton (reeds); Richard Wyands (piano); Wendell Marshall (bass); Roy Haynes (drums).

Trane Whistle

---

Andrew Hill - Point of Departure

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:59
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(12:18)  1. Refuge
( 7:05)  2. New Monastery
( 9:49)  3. Spectrum
( 4:12)  4. Flight 19
( 3:49)  5. Flight 19 - alternate take
( 6:43)  6. Dedication
( 7:01)  7. Dedication - alternate take

The folks at Music Matters have been reissuing classic Blue Note albums of the 1950s and 1960s at an aggressive clip, and have been careful to include virtually every style of music the label recorded, including some of its more challenging material. Pianist Andrew Hill's Point of Departure (1964) will never be mistaken for light cocktail jazz, but it's inclusion in this reissue series displays Music Matters' commitment to more adventurous material. In 1964, the term avant-garde could have been applied to any number of different musical angles in jazz. The free experiments of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, with their pure emotional howling set within very limited contextual framework, are perhaps the most notorious. But there was another avenue that retained a significant structural environment with greater emphasis on composition,even if those compositions were themselves quite a stretch. Hill's third recording as a leader, the diabolically brilliant Point of Departure, may be the apex of this school. This album includes some of the fiercest, high density writing of the era, with each track featuring tight, byzantine written statements and full-throated blending of timbres. The music includes dissonant harmonies, often employing multiple melodic ideas, and often played very fast. It would be easy to imagine the musicians scratching their heads on the first run through, struggling with music that reached for new levels of complexity. Nevertheless, and despite the very complicated, wrought compositions, the band plays rather loosely. They're all there, but a perfect precision performance does not appear to have been Hill's core demand. Instead, people come in and out slightly ahead or behind the beats, and even when they're harmonizing, cacophonous filigrees abound. On top of all that and that's already a lot Point of Departure features extraordinary improvising. Eric Dolphy on alto sax, flute and his trademark bass clarinet pursues pathways that make perfect sense within the music, but still sound like they've arrived from another planet. Joe Henderson's tenor work is right out there with Dolphy, and Kenny Dorham's trumpet adds a bright brass blare over all of it. Hill's piano is all over the map, and he plays the way he writes: inventive, unpredictable, and fearless. Notably, although the improvising is very aggressive and forward-looking, everyone still keeps his statements within the context of the music. Nothing on this record ever veers off into free territory. As with all of Music Matters' reissues, Point of Departure comes as two 45 RPM LPs. A decent turntable is a necessity. But the vinyl itself is pressed with tremendous quality control, so with good equipment these records reveal details that no CD will ever approach. It also helps that the original session, engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, was particularly well-recorded, with excellent clarity and instrument scale. Point of Departure is a cornerstone jazz recording that every serious jazz listener should hear. The Music Matters pressing simply adds elevated sound quality to what was already a musical masterpiece. ~ Greg Simmons https://www.allaboutjazz.com/point-of-departure-andrew-hill-blue-note-records-review-by-greg-simmons.php

Personnel: Andrew Hill: piano; Kenny Dorham: trumpet; Eric Dolphy: alto sax, flute, bass clarinet; Joe Henderson: tenor saxophone; Richard Davis: bass; Tony Williams: drums.

Point of Departure

---